by Tami Hoag
First published 2012
Lauren Lawton once had everything. A loving husband, two daughters, and a beautiful home in Santa Barbara. Then her sixteen-year-old daughter vanished without a trace. Four years later, her husband has taken his own life and the world considers her oldest child dead. Lauren knows who took her daughter, but she has no proof against the man who continues to stalk her family. The Santa Barbara police cannot act without evidence. Seeking a fresh start, Lauren moves with her younger daughter Leah to the quiet town of Oak Knoll. But her nightmare follows them. The same predator appears in their new home just as Leah approaches her sixteenth birthday. Detective Tony Mendez and his team race to protect the young women of Oak Knoll while Lauren fights to save what remains of her family. As the investigation deepens, a shocking revelation transforms everything they believed about the case.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Santa Barbara, Oak Knoll
Period: 4 years later
432 pages · Hardcover · Dutton
Content warnings: suicide